What better place to set a murder mystery than Victorian London? An employee of the Kern Secretarial Agency, Anne Clifton was considered one of the best. But when Anne is found dead, Ursula Kern is not sure it isn’t foul play. Slater Roxton thinks Kern should stay out of it but when she insists on doing some digging of her own, Slater is there for protection…and possibly more. Now they’re working together to find a killer, attempting to infiltrate the inner circles of high society in what may prove to be a dangerous game.

The seemingly perfect suburban landscape is often a façade for dark dealings. In tony, Ridgedale, New Jersey, the body of a newborn baby is found in the woods—and the shockwaves reverberate throughout the entire community. The investigation brings to light many long-held secrets that will finally reveal the truth behind this tragedy—but not before changing three lives forever.

“When are you settling down?” is more than familiar refrain to many of us over at Shelf Pleasure. So of course Bolick’s book, which expounds upon the startling concept of choosing to remain single, was a must-read. Part history lesson (a fascinating look back at the smart, powerful women from the last century who paved their own way, such as Edith Wharton and Charlotte Perkins Gilman), part autobiography, Bolick demonstrates that this debate has roots that go way back—and encourages all women to choose the path that makes sense to them.